Introductory. 27 



mands of us, or at least allows us, to use these 

 words as the names of distinct things and as terms 

 so well understood as to need no special explana- 

 tion, as they are used in this discussion. Their 

 meaning, as generally understood, is sufficiently 

 precise for our present purpose. 



As it would be agreed by all that Instinct lies 

 somewhere in the field of vitality, we shall trace 

 that in all its manifestations, that we may find just 

 what activities there are in the plant, in the animal, 

 and in man. Throwing aside, if possible, our pre- 

 conceived notions of the difference between them, 

 w^e will inquire What they are? What they do? 

 And before our work is done, we may be able to see 

 whether there are distinct planes of being, — planes 

 differing in kind, — or whether all manifestations of 

 vitality merely differ in degree ; — whether Instinct 

 is something by itself as a distinct principle, or is a 

 mere summation of powers acting in a specific 

 method ; — whether it is simply an extension of phys- 

 iological function on the one hand, or the nebulous 

 form of intellect and reason on the other. 



The apparent work of Instinct, or the operation 

 of the instinctive principles of action, is to fit the 

 animal to the world ; to enable him to battle for 

 existence, to hold his place in spite of opposing 

 forces and enemies, — in fact, to make the forces and 

 products of nature his servants so far as they are 

 needful for his perfection. It secures this by put- 

 ting him at once, by a spontaneous manifestation 

 of impulse, knowledge and skill, into the needful re- 

 lations to those objects in nature that are necessa- 



